Altho’ your personal and official acquaintance with Mr. J Graham, be well known to me, I can not, on the occasion of my final departure fr⟨om⟩ the public service, satisfy myself, without expressing my sense of his great merit. Mr. Graham, recommended by my knowlege of his public Agency abroad, and of his private virtues, was invited into the Department of State, as the Chief under the Head of...

I shall not waste your time in idle congratulations. you know my joy on the commitment of the helm of our government to your hands. I promised you, when I should have recieved and tried the wines I had ordered from France and Italy , to give you a note of the kinds which I should think worthy of your procurement: and this being the season for ordering them, so that they may come in the mild...

The reciept of a commission as Visitor , will have informed you, if you did not know it before, that we have in contemplation to establish a College near Charlottesville . by the act of assembly which fixes our constitution , it is to be under the direction of 6. visitors. your commission has informed you you were one of these, & your colleagues are mr Madison , Gen l Cocke , mr Joseph C....

Finding subsequently, what had not been before attended to that the law had appointed the 1 st day of our Spring & Autumn District court for the stated meetings of the Visitors of the Central College , it is concluded that our meeting should be on the 5 th instead of the 6 th of May (noted in my letter of the 13 th ) and that being the 1 st day of both our County & District courts, the...

The wine called Scuppernon (or some name like that) is made as I am informed on the South side of Albemarle Sound , on & near a creek of that name. it is easily procured by a correspondent in Norfolk with which place Scuppernon has a short and direct communication by water. I had asked the favor of mr H. G. Burton of N. Carolina to procure me a correspondent from whom I could get regular...

From the tenderness of Friendship and the Weakness of Compassion and humanity, I have promised two Gentlemen to mention their names to you, as Candidates for Mr Daltons late Office, Captain Tucker and Mr Deblois. A Friendship of forty Years with the former, and of fifty Six years with Mr Dalton have deeply interested my Feelings in behalf of both these Gentlemen. But what Signify Feelings when...

From the tenderness of friendship, & the weakness of compassion & humanity, I have promised two gentlemen to mention their names to you as Candidates for mr Daltons late office. Captain Tucker and mr Deblois. A friendship of 40 years with the former & of 56 years with the mr Dalton have deeply interested my feelings in behalf of both these gentlemen. But what signifies feelings when I know...

Another application has been made to me by Mr Elbridge Gerry, the oldest Son of the late Vice President, for a recommendation to the office of Surveyor in Boston. How can I recollect, the laborious Services, the great Sacrifices of a Gerry for forty years, and the destitute Circumstances of his Widow and Children, without Emotion. I told him I had mentioned the Names of Tucker and Deblois;...

In the good old English Language of your Virginian and my New England Ancestors, I am right glad to See you in the oldest Plantation, in old Massachusetts, next to Salem, where you will be recd with more Splendor and I hope with equal Cordiallity. MHi : Elizabeth Smith Scrapbook; Smith-Townsend Family Papers.

Your favor of July 27. from Plattsburg was duly received, and I am very glad to learn from it, that the fatiguing scenes through which you have passed, had not prevented some improvement in your health. The sequel of your journey will have been still more friendly to it, as affording a larger proportion of the salutary part of your exercise. I hope you will find an ample reward for all the...

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